Ham Dogs driven to make a run for it

Gino Terrell, Sports Editor

 

Following Piper cross country’s Jim Drews Invitational on Oct. 18, the Pipers now enter the phase of their training cycle where they run fewer miles at a more intense level to gear up for the MIAC Championships on Nov 1.

“We’ve always had this motto that ‘Ham Dogs don’t get passed in the last mile,’” senior Ryan Peterson, men’s cross country runner, said. “We’ve always held true to that.”

The past two weeks the Pipers had meets. On Oct. 11 they had the St. Catherine Invitational and on Oct. 18 they had the Jim Drews Invitational. Their next meet on Nov. 1 will be the first meet of their championships season.

Junior Brenna Kennedy running for women's cross  country.
Cole Mayer
Junior Brenna Kennedy running for women’s cross country.

“We still got two weeks but I think we’re pretty ready for it: as ready as we’re going to be,” junior men’s cross country runner Nathan Rock said. “We’ve got a good top three and the fourth and fifth guy[s] are coming along, and we have a bunch of other guys ready to step up.”

Peterson said pacing is something the men’s cross country have been working on. He said they wanted to start the race at a pace where they could finish just as fast or even faster.

Peterson also said the team is hoping to have a good turn over and peak at the MIACs as they are practicing at a higher level of intensity and running fewer miles during the two weeks leading up to the meet. Peterson said it has helped them in the past at conference and it’s how they created the nickname “Ham Dogs.”

“That’s why we’re nicknamed the Ham Dogs because the [St.] Olaf coach years back got so frustrated with us and said ‘I can’t stand those damn Ham Dogs, they always get past us in the last half of the race,” Peterson said.

For the women’s team, it will be the first conference meet for half of the roster. Junior Brenna Kennedy said she can relate to the first-years as this will be her first conference championship meet. 

“I didn’t [run cross country] in high school or anything so this really is my first year ever doing it. Everybody  has been helpful and I’m kind of in the same boat as the true freshmen are,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy was a member of the Pipers track and field team during her first two years and this season added cross country.

Kennedy said their meet at St. Catherine was the first meet of the season where all eight members of the team were healthy enough to compete and that she’s excited they’ll all be back for the MIAC Championships.

“It’s going to be fun. I think we’ve all put in a lot of hard work and we finally have everybody healthy again,” Kennedy said. 

As Kennedy  enters her first championships season, Peterson will be going through his final.

Peterson is trying to block out all of those emotions and stay level headed.

“It’s really just keeping calm, keeping a good mental state and then just getting to the race and beating as many people as you can,” Peterson said.

Peterson said they’ll be heading into the conference meet as underdogs at Como Park on Nov. 1. He said the other teams aren’t expecting the Pipers to finish with the top runners but Peterson is confident they’ll give them a run for their money. Peterson said he’s also striving to make a run at nationals during the championships season.

“I’ve worked my hardest to finish top five in the conference and to finish top seven in the region and to make it to nationals. I think I can be a top finisher at all three of those races,” Peterson said. “I would like to see my [entire] team go to nationals too.”